


Exsanguination

by Rueitae



Series: Plance AU Week 2018 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood, Blood Drinking, Compulsion, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Kidnapping, Mild Gore, Mind Control, Thank you for letting me indulge, Vampire Lance (Voltron), i can't believe that's a tag, i just needed to get this out of my system, kind of, plance, they can only get so far in a one shot, vampire hunter pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-04-24 23:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14366064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rueitae/pseuds/Rueitae
Summary: Pidge can't escape her fate at the hands of the notorious vampire Haggar - but a unique servant of her captor's might be able to help.~~~~~~~Pidge glared. “I am going to kill you,” she huffed, “and then I am going to drive a stake right through your master’s heart.”“Honestly, I would have no problem with you doing the latter,” Lance admitted, casually sitting on the side of the bed. “Haggar gives me the heebie jeebies.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For Plance AU Week 2018: Lore
> 
> Plance vampire AU quickly turned into vampire/arranged marriage (kind of)/soulmate (kind of) AU. 
> 
> Vampire lore used here is a mish-mash of things I think I remember from various media, but not entirely sure where they all came from. (I made it up as I went for story flavor)
> 
> There is talk about sex and super awkward foreplay, but the furthest they get is kissing and groping (for a very non-sexual purpose). Also Pidge is in a compromising position for most of the fic. Also blood, because it’s a vampire AU. 
> 
> Thanks [Engineer104](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engineer104/pseuds/Engineer104) for beta-ing this mess. I hope you like it!

Pidge had too much time to think. This was bad. 

She had been left alone with her thoughts intentionally. The vampire Haggar had explicitly said as much while she’d watched the young vampire hunter succumb to unconsciousness. Blood apparently tasted better when the victim was as frightened as possible. Giving Pidge an undetermined amount of time to ponder her fate was one way to achieve that. Pidge had to admit it was working. She hated waiting, but mostly she hated not knowing.

The one thing she knew for certain, was that once she became a vampire, she’d be tied to the will of the one who bit her. The bond was mysterious, scholars only knowing that it was initiated by the bite itself - something Pidge’s brother was actively studying. Was it an effect of quintessence or a natural one developed by vampires to protect themselves from their new brethren? The end result was forced obedience through some type of mental link. Most new vampires went into complete insanity and their masters were happy to let them sate their newfound bloodlust, so it was a small miracle the bond was even known about. Those that survived their first few months would start receiving headache-inducing orders contrary to their need to feed. It had unwittingly saved the life of many hunter and civilian alike through the years.

Pidge did not want to be Haggar’s slave. She did not want to be forced to fight her family, even if it was likely she wouldn’t even recognize them. She inhaled and exhaled deeply and deliberately at just the thought, fighting back tears she wanted desperately to be able to wipe away.

She couldn’t, because chains bound her wrists to the wall behind her.

At least the bed was comfortable, she thought sorely; a poor attempt to change the subject of her thoughts. The white down comforter was thick enough that it nearly pulled back over her small frame, despite the bed being well made. The only discomfort was the feeling of her own blood that had long ago pooled at her side and mostly crusted over. Shifting ever so slightly she could feel the liquid flow slowly across her back. It would be ticklish if not for the rather serious wound it came from.

The gaping hole in her side was a persistent reminder of how she had ended up in this situation. Fingernails as sharp and as long as knives had cut deep, clipping her ribcage. If she remained still, it wasn’t so bad. Otherwise biting her lip was the only relief she could get from the pain each time she would shift her body slightly. So far it had been left untreated. There was really no need from the vampire’s perspective. Once she was one of them, the wound would regenerate quickly on its own. 

So she waited, with no idea how long she had left.

There was no clock in the room. Pidge was able to tell time only from the sun’s angle. The thick curtains made it slightly difficult, but luck was with her and it was likely a cloudless day since light was still able to seep through. It had still been dark when she’d been placed in this room, teetering on the edge of consciousness from her injury. She now guessed it was near noon as she could see the decor with ease. 

A thin, light purple fabric draped the tall bedposts, all three sides rolled back and tied to the posts, allowing Pidge to observe her surroundings. The upscale taste was accentuated by the short, but intricately carved headrest.

The room, like most of the castle, was very medieval. Pidge felt that she may have been in a themed hotel room. A tall and ornate wardrobe stood past the window to her right. The wooden door was off in the far left corner, difficult to see past the shelves full of books along the same wall. It was a very upscale room for time period standards, complete with a crackling fireplace that sat across from the bed she lay on. She was thankful for for the warmth as her shirt had been ripped to shreds, leaving her with only her sports bra for a top. 

The irons made it impossible to see if they had bothered to lock the door. Alone, the chains would probably have been sufficient for most prisoners, but Haggar was a paranoid vampire by record and had also secured one of Pidge’s legs to one of the far footposts. It made it impossible for Pidge to grab a hairpin from her short, messy locks. Haggar’s new bodyguard had missed those, among other things. Had Pidge access to them, she might have been able to undo her bonds.

If Haggar was going to make her wait for the inevitable, something to read would have been nice. Not for the first time Pidge coveted the books on the shelf. The possibility that they could contain any exploitable weaknesses made it that much more infuriating. Considering Pidge had been caught off-guard taking notes of the elder vampire’s research, it was an unfortunately fitting punishment for breaking and entering. She preferred to channel her emotions into that petty frustration than think about betraying her family.

Pidge came here knowing this was a vampire’s lair, Haggar’s specifically. She took the job because of the creatures the vampire would create, robeasts as they were called. They were all horrors born from a mix of science and magic, two fields of study which her family were known for. Even with the continual advances in vampire hunting technology, Haggar was always one step ahead, unleashing monster after monster into the world. Robeasts were always tricky to kill. Pidge thought she was prepared and had taken every precaution. 

Not enough apparently. Now it seemed she would suffer the fate of everyone who had stormed the castle before her; become a monster under the complete control of a being like Haggar. Pidge always knew this was a legitimate occupational hazard, but it still made her stomach queasy. It was the worst of fates for the latest daughter in a very long line of vampire hunters.

Hope of escape had yet to leave her mind, but it was looking more bleak by the minute. She’d get bitten and join the undead ranks. It was only a matter of timing, save a miracle.

The sound of the door unlocking brought her mind into focus fast. Pidge grit her teeth and braced herself. She wondered if this was it, her heart beating a mile a minute. Injury aside, she did still have one free leg and wasn’t going down without a fight. She’d held her own against vampires for years now and was not about to let this be the end so easily.

The door opened with the creak of hinges, as if left unoiled for years or centuries. To Pidge’s great surprise it wasn’t Haggar or her guard who entered, but a boy that might have been about her age. She hadn’t seen him during the battle. The wheels in her mind turned rapidly. How many supernatural beings lived in this place? How many had she not accounted for?

He didn’t look like a vampire. His skin tone was much too dark to have lived away from the sun for too long. His clothes were modern, a baseball t shirt and jeans in a blue color scheme. For a bewildering reason, it registered to Pidge that the color fit him perfectly, and both the thought and his demeanor confused her. His shoulders were slumped as he trudged in slowly. His face wore a weary frown that shifted to wide-eyed surprise when he saw her. 

“Um...hi?” he said, offering a small wave. His smile was forced, but contained no trace of malice. 

Pidge’s sharp eyes caught his tell-tale fangs as soon as he opened his mouth. The puzzle of his behavior left her in an instant.

“What do you want?” she demanded, glaring. “Are you here to take me to your master?”

The boy froze, pointedly looking away from her. “No, no, not - not exactly,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “My name’s Lance,” he offered awkwardly, turning his head back to her. 

“Then why are you here?” Pidge growled, just glad to be able to take her anger and frustration out on someone. Every second that he remained unthreatening, the more she felt bolstered in confidence. “I hope it’s to let me use the bathroom if your master plans on keeping me here for a while.”

His eyes lit up in recognition of the problem. “Oh, right. Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with bodily functions and stuff. Hang on a sec.” He walked over and crawled up onto the bed, reaching for the chains behind her. For a half second Pidge felt a little hot under the collar with his close proximity to her nearly bare chest. She quickly swallowed the knee-jerk reaction and readied herself. This was going to be the perfect escape. She couldn’t believe that Haggar, unarguably the most intelligent and ruthless vampire to walk the Earth, could have a flunky this stupid.

Her hopes were dashed almost as quickly as they’d risen when Lance didn’t unchain her wrists, but instead only unhooked the chains from the wall. 

Much more gently than she’d ever expected from a vampire, he brought her arms in front of her and let go. Pidge held her hands to her neck protectively, swallowing hard. This obviously wasn’t it. She still had time before being bitten and her hands were free, even if they were cuffed together. She still had a shot and an accessible weapon. This was turning out better than she’d thought. 

Lance jumped off the bed with a spring that reminded Pidge of herself, when she played with her brother as young children. This guy just didn’t fit the bill of the typical vampire. Either he was an extremely good actor or had recently been converted himself. 

“The toilet is the bowl over in the corner.” Lance gestured lazily with a finger to the place between the fireplace and the wardrobe. “The castle doesn’t have running water. I guess Haggar never really needed to upgrade since, well, most of us don’t need it.” He laughed halfheartedly, seeing some humor in the statement. Pidge didn’t and resumed her glare at him. This made him stop laughing and sigh. “I’m going to untie the rope from the post. Don’t do anything stupid, okay? You’re already injured, and I don’t want to hurt you more.”

It was Pidge’s turn to laugh, but it came out as more of a sarcastic snort. It was a mistake, the blood loss compounded with the sharp motion gave her a dizzying spell along with a reminder of the hole in her side. She looked at him, but didn’t quite see him clearly until she was done speaking. “As if it's anything to you,” she spat, instead of of yelling out in pain.

She felt slightly bad, but only very slightly considering the circumstances, when Lance winced and resembled the figurative ‘kicked puppy’.

He didn’t respond to her as he untied the knot that connected the rope from the footpost. “I won’t look. Cross my heart,” he said with a wry smile, putting a hand over his heart and raising the other. Pidge almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Lance must have noticed her completely befuddled expression because he smiled wider. “Yeah, pretty funny, right? I’m a vampire. Crosses. Heart. Hunk never gets tired of that one.”

Pidge growled, glare back in place. “I don’t know what your game is, but I will figure it out.” She slowly scooted herself towards the edge of the bed, wincing each time she bent over. For the first time she saw how much blood of hers had stained the white sheets. The sleep had helped her immensely, but the amount was still enough to be worrisome. She’d have to be very careful about attempting anything strenuous. 

Lance watched her closely but made no move to help her. Some concern flickered in his eyes and he fiddled with his hands while she made her slow progress. “I can move it closer, if you want,” he offered. “I’ll take it out with me when I leave anyway.”

Pidge realized that this might give her yet another edge. She feigned more pain than she felt, which didn’t prove a difficult task. “Yes.”

Immediately he did just so and moved the bowl to near the center of the room. Pidge forced herself not to sigh outwardly in relief. This would be perfect. A well placed hit on his face with the irons, then she just had to pick up the slack rope quicker than he recovered. He even left the door open for her.

It took every last drop of willpower not to grin smugly.

Pidge slid off the bed and moved towards the bowl, shivering slightly at the thought of how humanity had gotten by before indoor plumbing. She slowly began to unbuckle her belt, stopping briefly to glare in Lance’s direction. He took the hint and as he promised turned on a dime, back to her.

Pidge literally could not believe her luck. 

She bent down to pick up the dangling rope still tied tightly to her ankle, making sure to pretend to pull her pants down. This too she could use as a weapon at some point. A well timed trip would hopefully be enough to catch Haggar’s bodyguard unawares enough for her to at least get out of the castle, which was all she needed in daylight. They wouldn’t be able to follow her after that.

She swung her arms with all her might, quickly reciting a strength incantation under her breath to enhance it. To her delight she made solid contact with the vampire’s head and turned to make her bid for freedom.

She didn’t even get a step before his hand held an iron grip on her lower leg. She fell on her stomach, arms painfully shielding the rest of her body. Her eyes widened in shock and could not help a scream of pain from her (very likely) reopened wound once she hit the floor.

“I really wish you hadn’t done that,” Lance said with some regret in his voice. She could hear him getting up, soon grabbing her by her upper arms and hauling her to her feet. 

Pidge winced as she let him, mind blinded by pain, but at the moment more angry than anything. “I put a spell in that punch! How the quiznack did you recover so quickly?” She made sure to look him right in the eye. If nothing else she still had her pride, and she intended to make him and his master aware of it.

To his credit, Lance didn’t look away this time, but the sympathetic look did not suit a creature of the night. “It’s my Ability,” he answered, and Pidge believed him despite her rage. It made logical sense. Abilities were a strange side effect of the turning process and vampires were usually extremely guarded about them. Each individual had a unique Ability based on their personality. If known, it was child's play for a hunter to exploit the weakness, usually the polar opposite of the Ability. Pidge’s ancestors spent generations studying the phenomenon and passing on the research and records. 

When Pidge didn’t respond, he continued. “Um...do you actually need to use the bathroom? I’ll try not to watch, but I’m not letting go after--”

“No, I’m fine. I don’t have to go,” she said shortly, furious that her bid for freedom hadn’t worked. 

“...okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. Not that he needed the oxygen, being undead, but it was well-known that some vampires, especially newer ones, retained habits from when they were alive. “I have to chain you up again. I’ll try and be gentle. Your side probably hurts a lot.”

It did. Whatever healing had been done during the morning was undone from the fall. Pidge eyed the open door. Freedom was so, so close. The last thing she wanted was to be turned, to be away from her family forever and bound to the will of a vampire, Haggar worst of all. The anticipation was already killing her emotionally, as was the cruel intention. 

Ignoring the pain, because comparatively it was nothing compared to what awaited her, she snarled and dug her heels in with the intention to trip him up. “Let me go!”

His response was to dead lift her and carry her over to the bed. “I was a pretty easy going guy back when I was alive,” Lance rambled calmly as Pidge tried to squirm her way out of his grip. She cursed the natural strength of vampires for the millionth time. 

He lay her carefully in the middle of the bed. “So, when I got turned it got interpreted as kinda ‘rolling with the punches’. I recover from blunt hits easy peasy, but cuts and piercing weapons are extra bad news for me. Ironic,” he chuckled, “because my name and all.” He paused. “If you promise to stay there, I’ll just tie the rope to the post. You can keep your arms free.” His eyes were pleading. Pidge was utterly confused.

“What is your deal?!” she said, voice raised, partly to cope with the pain from her wound. “You can’t feign kindness and keep me against my will at the same time!”

“Look, I don’t want to keep you here,” Lance stressed. Pidge could tell he was at the cusp of raising his own voice, but fell into frustration instead. “But I don’t have a choice. I have pretty strict orders to keep you from leaving this room. You’re a hunter, you know I can’t disobey an order from the vampire who bit me. Well, that’s Haggar, if you hadn’t figured it out already.”

He crossed his arms and turned from her, clearly annoyed. It only upset Pidge further. She rolled her hands into fists. “Argh! This is ridiculous. Why don’t you just get this over with?!”

Lance flinched at the words. “Tonight,” he said quietly, “just as twilight ends. You get one more day to enjoy the sun.” He spoke in near monotone, a far off look in his eyes. Pidge had every reason to believe those were Haggar’s exact words. The information made her heart drop to her stomach. 

But...at least now she knew how much time she had left. 

Without her response, Lance continued, refusing to look her way yet again. “She’s making a big shindig out of it. And... she’s not going to be the one to bite you. I am.”

“What?!” Pidge nearly screeched, looking up suddenly in horror. 

“I promise it won’t hurt! I’ve been practicing!” He backed away from her, arms flailing out in front of him. “On animals, not people!” he amended quickly, rambling. “I’ve never actually bitten a person, and Haggar thinks it's about time. She was kind of impressed you were digging into her more advanced spellbooks, and she’s under the impression we’d make a good match, with you being the brains and me the brawn. I’m pretty decent with a gun and--”

“You’re making this sound like we’re getting married,” Pidge deadpanned. 

Lance gulped nervously. “Um...well, we might as well be, right?”

Pidge bolted, making a run for the door, but not truly expecting to succeed. Lance didn’t falter, holding her in an iron grip of a hug from behind. 

“I don’t think so! I am not going to let you inside my head!” Haggar was one thing, but a lower ranking vampire that was under her control anyway? It might be worse. 

“Look, I sympathize, I really, really do.” Lance dumped her back on the bed and this time connected her chains back to the stone wall. She was stuck now, but not lacking in anger. “If you want to keep aggravating your wound and spend your last hours as a human in pain, fine, but I’m going to do what I can so you don’t get worse.”

Pidge glared. “I am going to kill you,” she huffed, “and then I am going to drive a stake right through your master’s heart.”

“Honestly, I would have no problem with you doing the latter,” Lance admitted, casually sitting on the side of the bed. “She gives me the heebie jeebies.” He shivered for effect despite the large fire making it plenty warm. He couldn’t feel temperature anyway.

“...it hasn’t been that long since you were converted,” Pidge stated, calming down enough to try another tactic. Lance seemed loose-lipped enough. “Your clothes suggest late 20th century?”

Lance smirked with a genuine smile, impressed with her guess. “Not bad. Just before the turn of the century, 1999.”

“Nearly one hundred years,” Pidge stated, raising an eyebrow. That, combined with his actions, made no sense against everything she had read and witnessed firsthand. It intrigued her. “You’re not exactly new to this. You should be relishing in my situation.”

“Yeah, trust me, I get no enjoyment out of what Haggar does,” Lance said with a frown. “When I was a kid this kind of stuff was a fairy tale. When you see the kind of things she’s doing down there, it’ll make your head spin.” His nose wiggled and his face scrunched together in disgust.

“I can kind of guess. I came here to stop her after all.” 

Lance nodded. “Yeah, I kind of figured. You aren’t the first and probably won’t be the last.” He shifted his spot on the bed to put his back against one of the footposts. His sneakers nearly brushed up against Pidge’s own boots. “So why am I here? Since I can’t let you go and we’re gonna be together for the rest of our un-lives, I want us to start out on the right foot. You know, get to know each other a little?” He said, sounding hopeful.

Pidge allowed her brain a few moments to catch up. The strangeness of the entire situation nearly took out its serious context. “Okay, I’ll bite,” she emphasized, returning terrible joke with terrible joke. “How are you so nice? Vampire progeny never keep their personalities, especially when their masters are as bad as Haggar. I can see you being yourself for maybe a week if you’re lucky, but not a century.”

Lance lowered his head slightly in remembrance. He then looked directly at her. “I don’t really know, I don’t remember much. I don’t even remember being scared.”

Pidge’s brain went numb. Her family’s research had nothing about this. “Seriously?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “How could you not be scared? Being bitten by a vampire is one of the worst things that could happen to you. You’re under her control unless you get lucky and some hunter gets to her, like I nearly did last night,” she said, frustrated. “You can’t die, you’re forever separated from your loved ones, and you have to serve a being of pure evil. You become a being of pure evil,” she finished with emphasis.

As Pidge went on, Lance’s frown deepened into a grimace. He was well-aware of all this. “Yeah...except I still feel guilt over the things she has me do,” he stressed. “I only went into the castle on a dare. One second I was checking out the cool spiral staircase, the next I’m lying in a bed like this and bam, I have fangs. I thought vampires were just made up, I didn’t have time to get worked up and scared.” He snorted, crossing his arms and leaning back. “Man did I get a rude wake up call.”

Slowly puzzle pieces fell together in Pidge’s head. Her eyebrows knit together, regarding Lance in a new light. “You… you’re the one who woke her up. After the year 2000, Haggar became more active. Since then she’s created more offspring than any other vampire.”

“Yeah...sorry,” Lance acknowledged, looking genuinely upset. 

“We always thought her first modern victim died,” Pidge said, scrambling her thoughts together and her eyes darting around as if searching the pages of a book. “Every other vampire she’s produced hasn’t had the right magic signature… because it's you,” she realized in complete amazement, finally looking back up at him. “How are you not dead? How are you not evil?”

“I told you, I don’t know,” Lance said, frustrated. “I didn’t even see her coming, just a sharp pain in my neck and then everything went black. Kind of,” he amended. “There was a lot of blue first, kinda like my dead computer screen.” He chuckled darkly. “Which I guess is a pretty good way to describe what happened.”

As he spoke, Pidge’s inner scholar overtook her hunter instincts. “That’s… actually amazing. People can have hope their personalities will remain. They wouldn’t turn into monsters.” She locked her gaze at him. “We have to find out how you did it,” she finished firmly.

Lance deflated, shoulders limp. “It’s just been me though. Everyone else she’s turned completely freaks out, become heartless monsters and she sends them out to just cause chaos. Me? I’m a ‘loose cannon’,” he said, complete with air quotes. “I get to stay here. That, and I think she gets a kick out of seeing me suffer.” His voice finished blandly, an annoyed resignation radiating from his features.

Pidge’s brain whirled, trying to tie all this new information with what she knew already. “Is there anything else you remember before you blacked out? Literally anything, even the smallest feeling or emotion.”

Lance made a show of pondering. “Maybe? The thing I felt the most was...desperation? I really wanted to go home because it hurt so much. I wanted...my mom… and…” He balled his hands into fists. “I never saw her again.”

Pidge closed her eyes, leaned her head back onto the pillows and sighed, letting him have his moment. “Haggar would have been desperate to feed. That’s probably why she didn’t kill you. That must be it then.” Her eyes widened and her heart soared. “Haggar didn’t impose any of her evil intentions onto you, just one that you associated with getting back to your family. The bond is natural then. It won’t stop the control, but it's entirely possible the emotions you feel dictate how much of yourself you’ll keep.” She paused. “I don’t believe it. This is the biggest vampire-related discovery known to man. And neither of us can leave.”

Lance nodded, mind clearly somewhere else. He had eyes only for his feet and arms wrapped around himself.

Pidge frowned. Comforting, let alone an anomaly of a vampire, was not something she was good at, or even expected to be doing today. She cleared her throat. “Theoretically then, if we both stay calm and focus on positive emotions, all bases would be covered. In case it was you not being scared, all I have to do is not be scared when you bite me. Then I won’t turn out mindless at least.”

Lance nodded in acknowledgment and eventually spoke again. “I just… this is the first time I’ve had to do this. I’m nervous, but I do want to do everything possible to help you retain yourself,” he said with conviction. “So, if there’s anything I can do to make you more comfortable, and make this less scary… I’ll do it. Because I wouldn’t put it past Haggar to make me do some stuff that would make both of us uncomfortable - besides the actual bite.”

Pidge winced. The possibilities and implications floated around too easily in her head, considering the choice for her cell. Chained to a large bed in a room with soft romantic undertones? It sounded like something out of a steamy paperback novel. 

Clearly thinking along the same lines, Lance gulped and turned his head away again. Pidge found her cheeks warming. Considering he had known all this time, she suddenly didn’t blame him for being embarrassed to look at her.

Lance cleared his throat. “How about something to eat? Taste buds go pretty bad once you get turned. If it’s spicy enough, I can kind of taste the flavor, but I really miss stuff like garlic knots, ‘cause obviously I can’t have those anymore.” He chuckled darkly. He almost reverted back to memories of his family, Pidge could tell, but quickly forced himself to change the subject. “Hunk makes the best stuff. He’s a construct, and my best bud in the whole world. Super nice guy. I guarantee whatever your favorite food is he’ll be able to make the best you’ve ever had.”

“I’m...not really all that hungry. Gaping wound and the fact that I’m about to become a vampire kind of destroys my appetite,” Pidge said blandly, turning her head only slightly to look at him. The reckless attempts to escape was finally catching up to her. Blood flowed freely down her side once again and she was just so tired. She redirected her pain to focus on Lance. There was still much she could learn.

“Right...right... yeah okay.” Lance wore his frantic thoughts on his sleeve, clearly trying to make an effort to do something useful. “I don’t have any pain meds, but I can dress your wound a bit. I have to do that for Shiro sometimes.”

“Shiro?” Pidge inquired. 

“Haggar’s guard,” Lance explained. “He’s the guy that knocked you senseless. He isn’t a vampire, but she’s got him under some experimental mind control magic. He packs a punch - I know, because i’m usually the training dummy,” he finished with a groan.

Pidge sighed, giving into the fact that if he was going to harm her further, he would have done it by now. “It would be nice if you could do whatever to make my side hurt less.”

“Yes, I can do that!” Lance jumped up a little too eagerly and bumped his head on the top post.

Pidge couldn’t help but give out a short laugh, once which made her side sting once more. “You’re kind of a dork,” she said smugly. “You’d last five minutes before the first hunter cuts you down.”

“You’re generous,” Lance deadpanned as he walked towards the wardrobe. “Most hunters that are held here give me less than a minute in the real world.”

Pidge closed her eyes instead of watching what Lance was up to. She inhaled at different speeds, testing to see which hurt less. “Haggar has a big reputation. If she was gone, that alone would stop a huge flow of new vampires. It would save a lot of people.”

“Don’t I know it,” Lance agreed. “Unfortunately she has a nice little position inside my head. Not much I can do about it.” 

“My brother is researching the bond between vampire master and offspring. With what you’ve told me combined with what he knows, he might be able to help,” Pidge offered, opening her eyes and seeing him returning to the bedside. 

“I know a tempting offer when I see it,” Lance said. He had brought a small wash bin filled with bottles with what Pidge hoped were antibiotics. “Believe me, if my instructions weren’t so specific I’d have had you out of here already.”

Pidge felt her eyebrows knit together. “It sounds like you’ve done this before.”

“Keith comes by every so often to try and rescue Shiro. He’s kind of an idiot, but he’s good - really good. I thought for sure he was gonna be the one to take down Haggar.” Lance said. “But then she started with the mind control experiments and made them fight each other. Poor guy never stood a chance. He’s been locked up in this room like, at least a dozen times.”

“You talk about him like he’s still alive. You were able to help him escape?” Pidge asked, suddenly hopeful again.

Lance nodded, frowning. “Off and on over the last five years. Unfortunately, his latest stunt was this past week, and yours truly got caught in the act. So, yeah, you just have really bad timing.”

“Great,” Pidge groaned, and seconds later jumped in pain. “Ow! What was that?”

“Rubbing alcohol. I’m cleaning this thing best I can.” Pidge saw that indeed he had a small cotton swab and was gently brushing over her wound. 

“Okay,” Pidge stiffened again as the cleaning continued, wincing every so often. “Keep talking. Tell me everything you know. Even if I do manage to stay myself, it won’t do any good if Haggar has control over you still.”

“Quiznack, you’re just like him,” Lance marveled. “Mission, mission, mission.”

“Better than sitting around waiting. You said you wanted to help; this would be helping me.” Pidge gave him her best serious face.

It was hard to pinpoint his expression exactly. As diverse as his face had been so far, this one was oddly blank before settling on resigned. “You already know what to expect with Shiro. On the surface he’s literally a doll. He won’t move until she orders him to, and then he won’t stop until his job is done. He never carries a weapon, just his metal arm. You’ve seen what that can do.”

Pidge nodded. That hand could slice her in half cleanly. 

“He’s actually a really nice guy,” Lance continued, eyes lost in remembrance. “I got to know him a little bit before the experiments started working. It would be really nice to free him.”

“Got it. The plan is to get to Haggar first then. Free you both at the same time.” Pidge frowned. All of the training in her screamed she had to take them all out, but Lance was an anomaly, and the scholar in her needed to know more. If he was genuine, as he certainly seemed to be, then this would be a game changer. 

“...I hope. I’ve never been a magic theory person.”

“A lot has changed since you were last in school,” Pidge explained. “No matter what kind of magic, it will fade with the death of the caster. She’d have to pass the incantation off to someone else if she wanted it to last past her death. I just need one shot. This is what I was trained to do.”

Lance ripped a strip of medical wrap from a roll with his teeth and began to firmly wrap her midsection to fully cover the wound. “She’s strong, both physically and magically. She gets into your head like nothing else, too. She usually lets Shiro do all the work though.”

“She doesn’t make you fight?”

“Naw.” Lance shrugged, then grinned proudly.. “I’m actually a really good shot with a rifle, but being a sharpshooter doesn’t come in handy when usually we’re being ambushed.”

Pidge filed that in her brain under useful for later. “You said there’s a construct? Who else do I need to worry about?”

Lance brightened. “Yeah! Hunk is great! He’s the only reason I haven’t gone completely bonkers. He’s like a Swiss army knife, tons of weapons inside his body, but he just uses them to cook all the time. He monitors the outside through these magic security cameras. You probably won’t see him for a few weeks because he’s confined to his wing. I’ll take you to meet him once you’re feeling up to it.”

“Once Haggar is dead,” Pidge insisted. “Anyone else?” Lance shook his head. “Okay, what about her Ability? Maybe we can take advantage of that.”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “She’s never told me, and I haven’t been able to figure it out.”

“It must be something that could take her down easily if she’s that guarded.” The wheels in her head turned, frustrated at all the unknowns. All of her acquired knowledge up to this point seemed so useless. 

“...and what if you don’t get your shot? Then I’ll have to, you know…” 

Pidge closed her eyes and tried to think practically. If Lance was right and he truly wasn’t acting, then it was her only hope. If she was going to become the enemy, then she much preferred to keep her sense of self. 

She took a good long look into Lance’s eyes. They were blue - a natural human color, earnest and full of compassion. She wanted to believe that a malevolent creature couldn’t fake that. 

A small part of her knew this could be an elaborate scheme. Vampires were not above toying with their victim’s emotions. If so, Lance was proving himself a literal master. 

She clenched her fists as she forced herself to think of the worst, that Lance was faking everything and it didn’t matter if she was terrified or not when he bit her. She wouldn’t know until she felt his mind in hers and then it would be too late. Any hope was something, she decided. Even if her spirit had the chance of being crushed if he was lying.

“You said you didn’t have time to process what was happening,” Pidge finally said. Her heart was beating at a million paces. “If you can make it a...pleasurable experience, maybe that’ll do the trick? I just need to keep my mind off the worst case scenario and think of something happy. That way I’ll stay calm.”

“Yes, yes!” Lance said quickly, getting on board with the idea. “Like I said, I’ve been practicing, so I don’t think it will hurt you. Maybe you can think about all the cool stuff we could do together, instead of the whole ‘being an evil minion’ bit. Do you like video games? Hunk rigged an old Mercury Gameflux to work off the cameras. I spend way too much time with it,” he finished with a chuckle. He then frowned and quickly added, “And I absolutely promise I will never ever make you do anything you don’t want to - at least unless I get orders. Can’t really help that,” he finished, completely deflated from his initial enthusiasm.

Regardless of if her personality remained, she’d be bonded to him. He’d have complete control over her actions if he wished. Pidge was astounded that the normally sickening thought didn’t sound all that terrible coming from this particular vampire. His promise just sounded that incredibly sincere. 

“I love video games,” she responded with a smirk. Only the years of hardcore training prevented her from gushing with excitement over the rare console he owned. It was only that thrill that allowed her to swallow back the embarrassment she felt from what she was about to propose. “But I was thinking something a little more intimate.” 

Vampires couldn’t blush, but Lance made a solid effort. A gurgling sound escaped his throat to go along with his stunned and horrified expression.

Pidge couldn’t help but laugh at the reaction. It made her nearly certain he wasn’t acting, and lifted her spirits enough to continue. “I can’t think of a better trust exercise considering the circumstances. I deal in facts. If I’m going to feel at ease, I want to know exactly what to expect from you.” 

“I couldn’t. I mean, she might go all voyeur on us but I’m going to try to not remind her of that and--“

“You’ve never done this either, have you?” Pidge interrupted.

“No!” Lance screeched. “And I was hoping my first time would be a little more romantic, you know - true love, wedding night, etcetera, and less ‘for practice’.”

“Well, we are about to be bonded to each other literally forever, so I don’t really see the problem.” Pidge found herself smiling. The circumstances to her imprisonment had changed, not necessarily for the better but…

His expressivity and just completely human responses to her questions and statements made her feel more at ease than she could rationally explain. The more they spoke the more she felt like she already knew everything about him. 

“I don’t even know your name yet!” he whined. 

Oh. Right. This was a two-way street.

“Call me Pidge. That’s my work name. Once Haggar is dead I’ll tell you my real one. Confidentiality is important, as you know.”

Lance still didn’t look satisfied. “I know literally nothing else about you. Except that you’re a vampire hunter.”

“I like peanut butter,” Pidge said. “And peanut butter cookies,” she continued thoughtfully, betraying her rising heartbeat only through years of practice. “But I hate peanuts. They’re too dry, I won’t miss them. I also sweat a lot, which is unrelated to the peanuts, which I won’t do anymore once you bite me.”

Pidge could almost understand why Haggar kept Lance around. His animated facial expressions were really amusing, especially when caught off guard. She knew her vampires, Haggar must find delight in the smorgasbord of pained and horrified reactions she got from him.

It actually made her feel bad for him. She sighed, leaning back onto the pillows. “I don’t like this even more than you do.” She took a deep breath. “You’ve tried to be helpful. If we’re really going to do this, it’s about time I offered you the same.” One last pause. “I still have two anti-vampire weapons on me, one that I can set off at any time with only a word,” she said frankly and with all seriousness. “I’m going to tell you where they both are and you can take them from me before you remove the shackles. It’s my last line of defense and I’m going to give it to you, for free.”

Lance was quiet, and to his credit never took his eyes off her. They hardened slightly, much more similar to what Pidge was used to in vampires and it almost made her breath hitch. She felt relieved when he simply remained nervous, his hands gripping the sheets as if they were a lifeline. He understood the weight of trust that she was giving him. 

“Okay,” he said finally. “Pidge. You like video games and hate peanuts. You’re a really good vampire hunter, not a lot of people get as close as you did to stopping Haggar.” He gulped and slowly crawled towards her on his knees from across the bed. “What do you want me to do?”

“You need my necklace first. That’s the first one, it conceals my dagger. Once that is off you’ll be able to confirm where it is,” she said evenly.

Lance crept forward and she kept her legs still and straight so that he could straddle them. He leaned over her, looking for the item in question in where a necklace would normally be. “Um, I don’t see it. Are you sure you’re wearing one?”

“It’s clumped up under my bra, not around my neck. Easier to hide that way.”

Lance stuttered in horror. “I can’t. I’ll unlock you and you can take them off yourself.”

Pidge glared at him. “You have to grab it,” she stressed. “This is me choosing to trust you, because you are my last option. If our hypothesis is incorrect I have nothing left. ”

“But your--”

“We are about to have sex. I don’t think you touching my breasts for a second is going to make much of a difference in our relationship.” 

By the look on Lance’s face, Pidge felt like she had discovered a secret way to kill a vampire. It gave her the continued strength to be frank about the situation as a whole. 

To his credit he recovered quickly. “Okay...okay. I’ll tell you everything I’m about to do, you just say the word at any point and I’ll stop, okay?”

“Got it,” Pidge responded sharply. Now that they’d agreed, her own nerves were getting the best of her. She was trained to withstand physical and mental torture. Letting down her guard like this was against everything she had prepared for. She hadn’t lied to him though. Haggar was known for her cruel methods and Pidge wanted - no, needed to be ready for anything. 

And that meant taking the biggest gamble of her life. Everything to gain and nothing to lose.

“It’s right in the middle. You’ll have to reach down to the bottom, but it’s hard and a bit pointy so your hand should find it quick.”

Lance looked at her with wide, brainfrozen eyes. Oh. Oh she had just given him an innuendo. With this trust thing Pidge decided she should probably stop torturing him. 

He was making it awfully easy to forget he was a vampire, which made things a little easier for her. He maintained all the mannerisms of an awkward young man, and perhaps if they’d met in a different life, things would have been different. He was pretty cute from her angle and if not for seeing his fangs every time he opened his mouth, he could have passed unnoticed in a crowd of humans.

That must be it, because beside the awkwardness of having a boy on top of her, she wasn’t scared.

“I’ll make this quick,” he said and hovered his hands over her chest. “Ready?”

“Do it,” she ordered. 

And he did. Lifting up the fabric with one hand he dug in with the other and was able to nab the necklace. It felt weird to have a hand other than her own in the area, but not uncomfortable. Just a cool sensation remained between her breasts. Pidge focused on the necklace itself that Lance now held in his hands. “You should be able to sense where the dagger is now.”

Lance clutched the necklace tightly, the brass chain loose between his knuckles. He looked up and down Pidge’s body before nodding. “It’s on your inner thigh,” he said nearly in a whisper.

“So you’ll have to take off my pants,” Pidge prompted. “I know it's awkward, but it will be less awkward for both of us if you trust me. I want you to do this. What I don’t want is to drag this on. That would make it worse.”

Pidge didn’t think her voice had an inflection with what she had said, but from the pitying look in Lance’s eyes she knew she had. 

“Sorry, I won’t flinch anymore. I get it. I’m gonna start with your belt.” 

Pidge was relieved when he didn’t wait for her response. They had precious few hours left and she needed to feel like she could trust him completely. 

True to his word Lance named off every single thing he did. After the belt was the buttons. Then the zipper. Pidge bit her lip in pain as she lifted her butt off the bed so Lance could pull the pants all the way off. He stopped when they were bunched around her knees. 

The dagger was ornamental, and Pidge had never needed to use it. It had always been a safety net, a confidence for her to be able to battle vampires with the rest of her arsenal with reckless abandon. 

Lance untied the velcro holster and removed it, setting it off to the side. “You okay?”

Pidge involuntarily winced, more at the reminder of the pain in her side. This was working. She hadn’t thought about it since he was cleaning the wound. She clenched her fists. It wasn’t Lance, but now she was suitably terrified at being exposed and devoid of all her defenses. She had never been without some sort of protection, even as a child.

Lance seemed to notice. “I’m getting you out of those irons.” Without waiting for her approval he quickly unlocked the manacles. 

It felt far too good for her wrists to be free after the hours stuck to the metal. Like before, he carefully brought her sore arms in front of her as he rolled back onto his heels, very close to having his full weight on her legs. He gave her hands a tight squeeze before letting go. 

“Better?”

“Much better. Thank you,” she said, rubbing her wrists and checking her mobility at the same time. 

Lance nodded, not moving from his position. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said quickly. “You can stay where you are.”

They sat there in awkward silence for more than a few moments. 

“This isn’t the first time vampires and humans have done this, but it might be the first time it’s been mutually agreed upon,” she said, doing everything she could not to show how nervous she was. “How about a kiss first? Provided you don’t get tempted to bite me early,” Pidge finished with a wry grin.

Lance gifted her a genuine smile. “Yeah, no worries about that, strict orders in place for that too. Just on the lips okay?”

“Yeah,” she smiled back. “I think I’d like that.”

He drew his head back and closed his eyes while taking a fake calming breath. “Okay I’m just going to lean over.” He set his hands on either side of her shoulders, and leaned over top of her, their faces inches from each other. Even with the permission Lance paused here. “Confession, this is my first real kiss. Well, maybe not real kiss since this is just practice but--”

Pidge was not good with suspense, she was a woman of action. She grabbed the front of Lance’s shirt and pulled him down, their lips locking into place, eyes closing in sync. She felt him let go, dropping from his hands to his forearms. She could feel he was trying his absolute best to not let his midsection rest on hers lest the wound aggravate again.

She’d never given herself the luxury of dreaming about what this would be like, the first kiss anyway. Dating, infatuation, love were always secondary concerns, and her parents had been lucky to find each other amidst their chaotic lives. Her family’s focus was on hunting vampires and trying to understand how to avoid becoming one of them, not snogging them.

It was pleasant though. Lance wasn’t a bad kisser by any means, not that Pidge had anything to compare it to herself. She backed off her aggressive pressing after a moment and he did the same. A few precious seconds later she backed off completely. and he followed suit, both opening their eyes at the same time.

“Well, that was...good?” Pidge said, a little breathless. “I think we can work with that.”

“Yeah,” Lance squeaked. “I really liked that. Are you okay?”

Pidge seriously considered continuing to fake it, but she was ready to throw in the last of her chips with this anomaly. “Honestly, I’m petrified by this entire situation. But I feel safe right now.”

The blue in Lance’s eyes seemed to shine a little bit brighter at that. “You honestly trust me? You feel calm?”

“Logically yes. You told me your Ability and its weakness,” Pidge reminded him, her eyes going a bit soft. “And you left my dagger within my reach.”

His eyes widened. “Ah, you did notice.” He seemed embarrassed. “I was honestly half-expecting you to use it. If I’m dead you’re free to go.”

“Why did you leave yourself vulnerable like that?”

“Trust is a two-way street isn’t it? I needed to trust you too.”

“You shouldn’t exist as you are, yet you do. Literally any other vampire would have taken full advantage of me ten times over by now. Your conscience and self-control are outstanding. Watching you gives me hope that no matter what happens tonight, I’ll at least still be me.” She gazed at him softly with a small smile. “And besides all the logical reasons why, I just...have a feeling. I trust you.”

For a long moment Lance couldn’t talk or react. He clenched his hands into fists. “I won’t let you down. You’ll get your shot at Haggar.”

“She’s complacent, that’ll be her undoing,” said a new voice. It was much deeper, but had a similar biting edge to it.

Lance’s face went comedically slack. “Yes, Keith, for the last time-- “ Lance stopped mid sentence and turned his head at the black-haired young man that was suddenly in their midst. “Keith?!”

Keith waved. He stood just past the open doorway. He wasn’t that much taller than herself, but at the moment was armed to the teeth with nearly every anti-vampire weapon Pidge could name off the top of her head and then some. His face went from seriously stoic to secondhand embarrassment. “I can...come back another time?”

“What the quiznack are you doing back here?!” Lance demanded as he scrambled off the bed. 

“Not using terrible dated swear words,” Keith responded dryly before turning more serious. “I’m here for Shiro, like always. I need access to the weapons room. I’ve got a good plan this time.”

“How did you even get in?!”

“Hunk let me in through the front door.”

Lance gaped, giving his best offended look. “Oh, no. I draw the line at you stealing my friends.”

“I thought we were all friends?” Keith asked, a bit incredulous. “I literally cradled you in my arms.”

“Because you stabbed me with a pencil!!!”

“I didn’t know it would paralyze you!”

 

Pidge finished snapping her belt into place. “There’s a weapons room?”

Keith’s dark eyes finally flickered over to her, scanning her for relevant information. A sorrowful look came over him. “You’re another prisoner. You haven’t been turned yet.” He pivoted to face the other man in the room. “Lance?”

“This is Pidge, and yes. I can’t let her leave the room,” the unconventional vampire explained. “Haggar has plans for tonight.”

“Maybe we can help each other,” Pidge interjected, a big smile on her face. “I think we can all agree the most important thing is killing Haggar. Once she’s gone Shiro is free”--she threw a pointed look at Keith--“and Lance isn’t under anyone’s control. Whether or not I get bitten is irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant? You’ll be a vampire!”

“You know, I take personal offense to that statement.”

“But look at Lance! He’s not like the rest. The bond is natural, Keith. That won’t change, but keeping your sense of self can be.”

Keith clearly pondered her words, eyes flickering with familiarity at the terms she used. 

“Haggar thinks she’s getting a new slave,” Pidge continued. “She won’t be paying attention to her surroundings. Instead of me taking the shot on her, you can. If I don’t have to fight, Lance and I can stall for you.”

Keith frowned. “Are you sure? I don’t want to--” his eyes shifted over to Lance, who was doubled over by the foot of the bed, holding his head. Pidge had seen this scene countless times with other vampires when their masters would give them orders through the bond. “Where is she?”

“In the lab,” Lance responded. “My services are required,” he finished with disgust, likely quoting her verbatim.

Pidge didn’t respond verbally, but her expression mirrored her thoughts. If this didn’t work, that would be her in a few hours.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Lance said quickly, understanding her worried look. “At least not if you let her talk.” He stood. “I gotta go. She gets impatient.”

“I can get you out of here,” Keith suggested to Pidge. “You’ll be free to go once Lance leaves.”

“That’s an even better idea,” Lance agreed, purposefully taking a slow walk towards the door. “You can take what you learned back to your family.”

Oh was that tempting. Pidge considered it, truly considered it. It was the safest option, and she would live to fight another day.

But this was a golden opportunity. One that Pidge knew she would regret not taking years later.

“No, I have to do this. There will never be a safer way to find out how the vampire bond works. If I can stay coherent, and compare what happens to me with what happened to Lance, then that’s the information that will save humanity.”

“It’s still risky. Are you sure?” Keith asked, visible concern on his face. “If I fail-”

“You won’t,” Pidge said, without hesitation. “Because you’ll have all the time we can buy you.”

“Well, you better step out of the room, Keith. I gotta lock up and you have to get set up for tonight,” Lance said, taking out his set of keys.

“I’ll be in position, trust me.” He turned to Lance as he stepped out the door. “I’ll still need the weapons room access.”

“You can get the keys from your best friend Hunk,” Lance responded with sarcasm, also stepping out and pulling the door with him. 

Pidge shared one last look with him. “This will work,” she stated.

Lance gave her a small smile. “I think so too.” He briefly avoided her gaze before continuing. “I can’t really explain it but just seeing you feels complete. I felt something similar when Hunk activated for the first time, and then when I met Shiro and Keith. With you that’s stronger than ever. I just… feel that everything is going to turn out okay.”

He closed the door. It locked seconds later.

Something stirred within Pidge, a feeling of familiarity. She’d never met Keith before, but she was trusting him with her life. She was trusting Lance with even more. This was not her usual operating procedure. 

Why did it feel so right then?

~~~~~~~

The basement of the castle was uncomfortably cold on Pidge’s bare arms. Standing in shackles again in Haggar’s presence was still more chilling. 

Shiro stood by her side with a firm, but not painful, grip on her upper arm. He and Lance had arrived together to bring her down here. It was the first time Pidge was able to get a really good look at him. If not for his grip, she would have imagined him a statue. He stood perfectly still and at attention, his bright yellow eyes fixed on Haggar as she approached.

“One vampire hunter, as requested,” Lance began, feigning boredom. He stood just off to her other side. It must have been the long years living under her thumb, but he managed a clear and firm voice, with the appropriate edge of distaste. 

Haggar studied Pidge up and down, gaze penetrating into her very soul. Without warning, her index fingernail elongated and punched itself into Pidge’s thigh. She screamed in pain, buckling under the shock. Shiro’s grip was the only thing that kept her upright.

“What are you doing?!” Lance yelped, eyes wide in shock.

“You missed a dagger,” Haggar said simply. The thin knife of a nail tore open Pidge’s pant leg and cut her dagger loose, allowing gravity to take it to the floor. “You of anyone know to be careful around these. That you managed to stay upright this long is nothing short of a miracle,” Haggar rasped. “Perhaps you will learn some responsibility once you have a servant of your own.”

Lance gulped, his eyes full of concern and wanting to say something. He silenced himself. Instead he turned his head away, eyes scanning the area. Pidge knew because she was doing the same, looking for any sign of Keith to avoid thinking about the brand new piercing and its associated pain.

Cold and boney hands cupped her chin, forcing her to look up. “Your coming here was fortuitous, child.” Pidge growled, her stature made most underestimate her but it still made her angry when her age was misjudged. “Your mind will now serve my research and your blood will sate the boy’s thirst. The rest of eternity you will spend in the service of the creatures you hunt.”

“Not if I find a way to kill you first,” Pidge spat. 

Haggar did not grin, but her gaze seemed to intensify. “I think I have seen enough.” She turned to Lance. “Bind her to yourself.”

“N-now?” Lance stuttered, all poise gone in an instant. “What about the ceremony? And your gloating? The monologue was awfully short thi--”

Pidge froze as she watched the nail from Haggar’s index finger turned to press firmly on Lance’s chest, right over his unbeating heart and cutting him off. “The first blood should be celebrated. I know it causes you no joy, so I will allow you to suffer quickly.”

Their plans were going to be ruined. Keith wasn’t going to have enough time.

“I have much to accomplish tonight. Do it now.”

Lance turned to face Pidge. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. Like a robot, her mind-controlled guard turned her towards a large lounge chair that lay near the center of the laboratory. Pidge’s eyes darted around and saw no standard operating tables. 

“I’ve got it, Shiro. Take a break,” Lance said as he came up beside them. He turned to Pidge. “Don’t think about it. It’ll be more comfortable for you lying down. Just like earlier, right?”

She knew she shouldn’t say what came out of her mouth next. She already knew the answer. “Can you fight it at all? Just a little more time?”

He didn’t answer her directly, gently placing a hand at her back. “Just close your eyes and pretend you’re still in the bedroom. I promise it won’t hurt.”

“You keep saying that.” She closed her eyes and didn’t even open them as he lay her down. The cushions were a luxurious material, and her upper body rested upright while leaning back slightly, her legs able to sprawl out. It did feel a bit like being propped up against the pillows.

She felt him sit on top of her, his chest up against hers. Their foreheads made contact. “Are you comfortable?” he asked earnestly and quietly. 

“Yes.” Pidge didn’t trust herself to say anything else. Her heavy breathing gave her away. 

“It’s going to be okay. You’re going to still be you, we both just have to stay calm. Pretend you’re sitting on the beach, watching the sunset,” he said evenly. His hands moved from her arms to her shoulders and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “And you’re getting kisses from a really cute guy.”

Pidge snorted, a smile escaping from her mind to her mouth. “And you’re the cute guy?” 

She could almost imagine the flashy smile to accompany the words. It was comforting in its own way. “Of course. I just came in from surfing, so I’m soaked, which makes me look even more handsome. I need some help drying off,” he continued, egging her on to continue the story. 

“You can dry yourself off,” Pidge snarked. “But I’ve been making a sandcastle while I waited for you to come in. I throw some sand at you to absorb the water.”

It was Lance’s turn to laugh. It was so genuine. She liked it. It made her wish the little fantasy they’d created was real. 

“I’ll have to clean my face best I can. That way I can give you a thank you kiss.” He leaned in, setting one hand behind her head to bring it closer to him. Their lips met in the middle.

The kiss was different than the one in the bedroom. When not caught off guard, Lance was both gentle and firm at the same time. It lasted but a few seconds, but he managed to radiate the calm and safety she was trying to find. 

He continued to cradle her head, giving her cheek a soft kiss, then planting another one just below her ear. 

“Are you relaxed?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” she answered. Her hand held a firm grip on his sleeve. 

He kissed her neck. A tingling sensation coursed through her body. It wasn’t anxiety though, or fright. Eyes closed, she forced herself to think of the beach. She smiled, allowing her body to relax. She would likely never see her family again, but this experiment was for them. If it worked it would aid their fight. That motivated her more than anything. 

She couldn’t have asked for a better accomplice. In another lifetime she could see herself eventually falling in love. 

In this short of a time frame though, she would settle for friend. They would have eternity together, and that would leave plenty of time for growing attachments. She didn’t mind the idea of that at all.

He kissed her at the base of her neck, lingering a little longer than the others. 

“I promise I’ll do anything I can to make you happy,” he whispered. His grip on her shoulder tightened for emphasis. “It's the least I can do. Anything, do you understand?”

She did. If Keith couldn’t expedite the plan, Lance was going to do his best to buffer Haggar’s orders. 

“I do,” she said. 

His teeth sunk in slowly. Pidge couldn’t help but tense, tightening her grip on him in turn. The further the teeth went in the more she relaxed. True to Lance’s word, it didn’t hurt in the least. He made it feel like it was just a tight hug. 

After what seemed like too long Lance took his first sip of blood. The sensation was much stranger than Pidge had ever imagined. An influx of unfamiliar emotions filled her. There was guilt first and foremost. It was mixed with fear, not raw fear, but fear for another. Lance took another drink, deeper this time. Fear for her, Pidge realized.

His every emotion was pouring into her, some more prevalent than others. This was what she needed to know. Time to take notes.

“I’m okay, you can’t stop now,” she encouraged. Even six hours ago, just the thought of encouraging a vampire to bite her would have been insanity. There was no turning back now though, her fate sealed with the first puncture. They needed to draw this out for Keith’s sake, and Lance was as aware of it as she was. 

His left hand balled up into a fist in her hair, grabbing a clump between it. Pidge felt the emotion first: gratitude. 

Lance took care to savor much smaller sips now, dragging the experience out. Now that it was happening, Pidge no longer had any lingering fear. The emotions relating to trust and care and even love were all over him as they poured into her heart. The last one confused her slightly and the question emotionally bled over to him the same as her blood.

His response was an image, easy for Pidge to see with her mind still closed. Lance stood in daylight with a large grin on his face, no fangs in sight. A breeze blew through his hair, and Pidge could almost feel it, the smells on the tip of her tongue. He wore armor of white, black, but most notably blue.

Blue fit him. That was his color. She knew it instinctively, without the need of any supporting facts.

He stood on a hill, grass similarly waving in the wind. He said something in jest, but she couldn’t hear it. She recognized her name on his lips, but that was it. He pointed to the sunset. 

She looked, briefly noting that it was her there, wearing the same uniform, but green instead of blue. Green was her favorite color. It suited her like blue suited Lance. 

The feeling of familiarity was forefront in Lance’s mind. Was this a vision? A memory? 

Another life?

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Battling vampires she was no stranger to the most obscure types of magic. Despite that, soulmates seemed like romantic gibberish. The fact remained she could feel her quintessence merge with his. This was the bond. Pidge now realized it was the emotional exchange that sealed one’s fate. Haggar hadn’t had the time to feed negative emotions to Lance, so he’d filled it with his own. Right now, Lance gave her nothing but kind feelings and Pidge was finally absolutely convinced she would be fine. 

It gave her a healthy dose of respect for Lance. He had held out emotionally on his own just long enough to keep his sense of self. If Haggar hadn’t been so famished and quick she doubted he would have come out the same. 

The revelation comforted her enough to open her eyes, still holding tight to Lance’s shirt as he continued to take her blood in small doses. Her relief flooded back over to him and he visibly relaxed. 

She allowed herself to succumb to the lightheadedness from the blood loss, Pidge stole a look over Lance’s shoulder and shot Haggar a glare, playing her defiant part. 

Shiro, stood by her side. His metal arm whirred to life in response to her subtle movement as his bright yellow eyes emotionlessly stared forward. 

“Let him continue,” Haggar ordered. “This will be a good lesson for him to learn. He cannot ignore his thirst any longer.”

A flicker of movement up from near the ceiling caught the corner of her eye. This time, Pidge could not hold back the smug grin. The last thing she saw before unconsciousness was a purple blade falling at a breakneck speed. 

They had been right. Everything was going to work out just fine.

~~~~~

“I think she’s coming to.” That voice was not Lance, nor was it Keith.

“She’s going to need to have some blood. I’ve got some stored in the fridge, I’ll be right back.” That was Lance. Footsteps faded into the distance. 

These were the same cushions she had fallen unconscious on, that much she remembered. The voices put together the rest for her. She placed a hand over her heart. No movement. Licking the inside of her mouth with her tongue she felt protrusions that hadn’t been there before.

That was it then. She was a vampire. 

Her thoughts remained independent. She had no desire to lash out and attack those who were near her. She felt abnormally calm for the situation. It had worked and her hypothesis had been confirmed. The vampire bond was the melding of quintessence, one’s very being. It was no wonder most went insane after being turned. 

Lance was different. He’d kept his humanity and passed that freedom on to her.

Two smiling faces greeted her when she opened her eyes. One belonged to Keith. The other was Shiro, his eyes no longer flashing yellow and instead brimming with kindness and concern. 

“Good morning. Or, i guess I should say good night now?” he quipped.

“Shiro, really? She probably doesn’t remember,” Keith said, exasperated. 

Pidge groaned and adjusted her sitting position. “It’s fine. I do remember. It worked then?” 

Keith nodded. “It wasn't perfect. I actually almost failed. Someone is a little too quick,” he said, sending a rather mild glare Shiro’s way.

Shiro nodded. “I owe you and Lance my thanks. Haggar had complete control over my thoughts. I had no idea what I was doing.”

“No need for thanks. I was just doing what I do best.” Lance arrived with an IV bag in his hands, a smug look all over him. “Keith never would have gotten that final blow without yours truly, sharpshooter extraordinaire.” 

“What you do best? I thought that was gloating?” Keith remarked with a smirk. 

“It seems like you two got on well while I was mind-controlled,” Shiro said with a smile. It was almost unnerving how offhanded he was about his former situation. “I had a feeling you’d be good friends.”

Lance pouted, but frowned as he looked Pidge’s way. “I know this is soon, but trust me, you’re going to want to drink this.” He sat next to her in the small space between the edge of the chair and her small body. He gently put the bag in her hands. “I went a week refusing to have any and I suffered a lot. After the first year you’ll be able to go longer without any, as long as you don’t get hurt.”

Pidge’s eyes drifted from the bag to her side. The bandages Lance had carefully secured on her earlier were gone and so was the wound. It had healed up already. Her fingers tightened around the bag of blood. She had seen a lot of it, even for her short career as a vampire hunter, but seeing it pooled up in his bag was… far more tantalizing than she wanted to admit. 

“It’s blood,” she stated.

Lance nodded. His smile laughed, but his eyes were far more serious. “Yeah, and you need to drink it. Your brain is telling you not to, but your instincts are telling you yes. I know, because I felt the same way.”

Pidge bit her lip, and it actually hurt. She had fangs now. That was one habit she needed to break quickly. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Air came in and her lungs filled, but none of it went to her heart.

“Okay. How do I… open this? Or do I bite?” It felt strange to even say it. 

“Most of them rip pretty easy with your fangs. They’re especially easy in the bottom left corner for some reason.” Lance shrugged. “I just pretend it’s a really big juice box.”

Gingerly Pidge found the aforementioned corner with her mouth, awkwardly tearing off the plastic. As soon as the first drop of blood hit her tongue it was life-changing. All of her prior thoughts about how disgusting the act was were gone. She only wanted more. She all but inhaled the bag. 

Her three onlookers waited in silence.

Shiro placed a comforting hand on her back. “I’m sorry. You’re in this position because of me.”

Pidge smiled back at him, already feeling more alive than she had most of her life. “It was worth it. I know how the bond functions now. I’ll have to compile some notes, but I’ll need you to take them to my brother. We’ll be able to save a lot of people this way.”

“Your brother?”

“Matt Holt. He’s been working in Paris the last few years, you should be able to find him there.”

Shiro’s eyes widened, as did Keith’s. “Holt? Your brother is Matthew Holt? Then that makes you- ”

“Katie,” she responded, “but you can keep calling me Pidge. Matt refuses to call me anything else anyway. That’s the only reason I kept the dumb nickname for my field name.”

Once Keith was over the shock of her identity, he turned a wolfish grin over to Lance. “Congratulations, Lance. You’ve done what no other vampire has ever done. You turned a Holt.”

Lance was indeed looking distinctly more pale than Pidge remembered. “W-why didn’t you tell me?! Your entire family is like the lion to me the zebra! They will find me and kill me for good!” 

“Don’t worry, Lance,” Shiro said, eyes sparkling with mischief. “The Holts are only the leading experts on vampires, vampire hunting, pretty much anything vampire related. I know Sam. He’ll probably want to study you.”

“Shiro, that is not helpful right now.” 

“Since the experiment worked, and I’m not completely insane, there’s a good chance I can still see my family,” Pidge said, brightening. “Just as long as I can make sure I don’t want to turn them.” She smirked, suddenly in a playful mood and turned to Lance. “Dad will want to meet my boyfriend.”

Lance wore the emotion on his face, but Pidge could feel the fear and embarrassment blazing through her mind. “This is amazing, I can still feel your emotions!” she said before he could speak.

Lance frowned, a sense of shame radiating in her core. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to this too.”

“Why apologize? This is awesome! Think about the studies we could do?”

He still wasn’t perking up. “Pidge- Katie, that’s the compulsion. I can’t control it as well as I thought. I’m making you feel what I feel. After a while you’ll hear my voice in your head. I...I’m so sorry. I promised you I wouldn’t do this.”

Pidge’s wide grin quickly turned into a frown as she realized what he was saying. 

Shiro and Keith shared a look before the older man stood. “We’ll leave you two be. There’s a lot of Haggar’s research to go through.”

“Don’t destroy anything,” Pidge said quickly, eyes not leaving Lance’s gaze. “I’ll run through them later. I want to save anything that might be useful for Mom, Dad, and Matt.”

Shiro nodded, and he and Keith wandered over to the far side of the room, allowing the two vampires to converse in private. 

“I believe you that it’s not your fault, Lance. The experiment worked. I’m still me. You have...we have forever for you to figure this out.”

“But I promised,” he insisted. “I know from experience how terrifying it is. I may have had more freedom than Shiro, but it isn’t something I want to inflict on anyone, least of all you.”

A new wave of emotions filled her. Pidge thought back to the ones she felt course through her while he bit her, thoughts falling on one in particular. 

“You barely know me,” Pidge blurted out. “Why do you love me?”

“I don’t know,” Lance admitted. “I just feel like I do. Just like I felt like I could trust you. Trust Keith and Shiro and Hunk. I can’t explain it.”

“I think we knew each other, in another life I mean,” Pidge said. “Alternate realities are a mathematical possibility.”

“Then… was that a memory we saw?” Lance asked, his face twisting around in confusion.

“Or a peek into another reality. Technology isn’t there yet to travel between realities, but there have been fuzzy glimpses into ones without vampires. If we did see ourselves in another reality, we’ve found something really special. Maybe there’s more to this vampire bond than we ever thought.”

Lance shifted in his seat. “I guess we have a while to figure it out.”

“I look forward to it,” Pidge said, joy rising with every word. Getting to know you, the research, and finding out just how many games you have for that Mercury Gameflux.” She meant it.

Lance’s spirits rose. Joy and humor were good feelings to have overwhelm her, Pidge decided. It would take some getting used to sorting through them versus her own feelings, but she hadn’t backed down from a challenge yet. 

“We have every one ever made,” Lance said proudly. “Once you’re feeling strong enough, and we’ve got things safe down here, I’ll take you to meet Hunk. He is the Keeper of Games and Fun Times,” he said reverently. “Maybe we could even find a way to get him unattached to the south wing!”

“Sounds like fun. I think you’ve got yourself a date, Lance.”

“Dating doesn’t exactly describe what we are.”

Pidge thought about that for a second. “You’re right. It isn’t. We’re basically married.”

She was never going to get tired of seeing his suddenly alarmed face. 

Things were already looking up in regards to her family. In addition to being able to advance their research, she had the possibility of seeing them again. She had a growing friendship (with benefits), and with a network of already supportive people behind her new identity Pidge would be able to get used to and come to terms with this blood drinking thing... eventually.

Maybe this forever thing wasn’t going to be that bad.


	2. Downhill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge is getting used to being a vampire and has some things on her mind. Some more pressing than others.

Being a vampire was somehow a lot easier than Pidge expected it to be. 

It was an awful lot like being human, actually. She spent her days doing things she normally would have done: eating, sleeping, research, training. 

Training was natural. Pidge still considered herself a vampire hunter. Most of her new kind were not of as sound mind or benevolence as she and her sire. It was her duty as a Holt, which required her to remain physically and mentally fit.

The research was an extension of training, and even more important than ever. Her conversion experiment had provided a wealth of information and a basis for protecting humanity. Armed with that knowledge, she spent hours scouring over the mountains of research Haggar had left behind. Pidge felt her mind in a constant state of overdrive - trying to connect what she’d learned to what Haggar had discovered. 

Although she didn’t need to sleep, the beds were soft and Pidge found her mind rejuvenated all the same. She suspected a placebo effect, but didn’t care. That was an experiment for another day.

She drank blood more than ate. Being newly undead meant more active consumption to keep up her strength. Hunk was the only reason she bothered to eat regular food. 

With Haggar gone, freeing Hunk had been Lance’s first priority. After a few days of research, they were able to unlock the spell that kept the construct confined to the south wing of the castle. 

Hunk became a fast friend in the time since. His knowledge of magic surpassed even her own and had become a boon for bouncing ideas off of, often helping her with research. 

After nearly one hundred years of living in the same section of the Castle and monitoring security cameras, his habits were hard to break. Hunk was still pleased to claim the south wing as his own and pursued his true passion, an art that he claimed to have perfected during his isolation. 

Cooking and baking. 

Although, even Hunk admitted his definition of perfection was a bit skewed as his only taste testers couldn’t actually taste anything, but it did not stop him from scheduling regular meals for the three of them.

“This is normal,” he firmly told them. They were a family now and activities like this would keep them from going mad. He placed a hand over where his heart should be. “It’s a reminder that our humanity is still there.”

Pidge hadn’t yet asked why a man-made construct like Hunk would say that about himself. 

This particular night they’d parted after supper. The boys settled on exploring the castle - Lance always eager to go places that had been off limits to him in the past. Pidge found herself in Haggar’s basement laboratory, dozens of candles illuminating the pages of documents she now poured over. 

Pidge set her glasses to the side and rubbed her eyes, keeping them closed and leaning back for a break. This desk was only one of many work tables with pages of research, and she hadn’t yet been able to touch the filing cabinets. 

It would be years of work before she had anything to show to her family.

A family she hoped would forgive her for making the choice to become a vampire. She clenched a fist in determination. They were as pragmatic as she was. They would understand, especially if she had more to show for it, something repeatable on others who would be willing to take the same risk she had. 

As long as Shiro and Keith kept their promise she’d have her answer soon enough.

Hunk enthusiastically counted on it. He’d already planned the welcome feast down to the wine selection, itching for people with actual taste buds to see what they thought of his cuisine. 

With renewed focus, Pidge went back to her current read. Not for the first time, she shivered as she digested the context. Along with her robeasts, Haggar was uniquely obsessed with the idea of vampire hybrids. 

It was an experiment she and Lance could have very easily been at the centerpiece of.

Lance had kept his promise to the best of his ability. Whether from guilt or duty, he’d been attentive to her understanding the nuances of being a new vampire. He recalled his own experiences as often as possible to advise her when she needed more blood and how much. They had yet to discover her Ability and subsequent weakness. Lance hoped they would never need to find out. Pidge was prideful in preparedness, however, and insisted they do whatever they could to find out. 

Overall it was a good routine, and a balance of important work with necessary and distracting play. It was comfortable. 

Except that Pidge could still feel Lance’s emotions. Right now? He was very happy with something. Pidge was sure she would hear all about it later. 

Pidge winced and stood. The sensation was still strange - the urge to do something out of the blue. Before she realized what was happening, she found herself already halfway across the room and headed towards the stairs. 

The compulsion to come see whatever cool thing Lance had found faded. In its place, shame. 

This happened every now and then. Pidge could do nothing but forgive him. He had spent so long under Haggar’s control, he never learned to manage his own quintessence. It would likely take years for him to subconsciously stop.

Months after the bite, the bond was still strong. Compulsion aside, Pidge continued to feel every joy and every sorrow flow out of him like a steady stream. If anything, this was the most difficult part of being a vampire to get used to. It was getting to the point where Pidge wasn’t sure where her emotions ended and where Lance’s began. 

A crash from upstairs broke Pidge from her thoughts. She ran the rest of the way across the basement and pounded up the stairs.

“Lance? Hunk? Are you guys okay?” she gasped. 

In the grand entryway, Hunk lay face first at the bottom of the stairs. Lance was up and retrieving a - 

“Is that a sled?” she asked, glasses falling down her nose in incredulity. 

“You bet it is!” Lance preened. “Hunk and I found it in one of the”--he pitched his voice lower and spookier--“forbidden rooms.” He finished with a wicked grin.

The area in which Lance and other prisoners had stayed was only a small cluster of rooms. Haggar kept the rest off limits, for reasons unknown. His excitement of discovery was so untamed that Pidge could feel it swell all the way down to her toes. He clearly wasn’t making any effort to suppress his emotions, and Pidge didn’t see the harm in reminding him. 

She didn’t mind. Lance was rarely in a sour mood at least, still high on the joy of freedom. It was intoxicating. 

“Haggar was so mad when I opened that purple door the first time,” he said, relishing in the fact that he’d ‘broken a rule’. “Made me want to see what was in that room even more. And you’ll never guess what was in there.” He leaned forward, pausing for dramatic effect. “Toys.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Toys?”

“Yeah, legitimate kids’ toys,” Lance continued lightly. “Seems like kind of a weird thing for an evil vampire to keep around.”

Hunk groaned behind them. He just now stood up, using the banister to haul himself up. “We aren’t doing that again. I’m gonna puke.”

“You’re a robot, Hunk. You can’t puke,” Lance commented, amusement tinging his voice. 

Hunk leveled an accusatory glare. “I’m a construct - not a robot,” he insisted. “Those are two completely different things and you know it.”

“Okay, okay,” Lance offered diplomatically. “It’s not like you’re getting hurt. You’re made of solid...whatever…”

Pidge sighed. “I thought you guys were in trouble. Were you seriously sledding down the stairs?” She cocked her head to the side, her eyes following the staircase up several stories. “Is that even safe?”

“Totally,” Lance said. Smug confidence radiated into Pidge’s soul. If she hadn’t known Lance, his posturing would have been off-putting. Now though? It was a breath of fresh air compared to how they had met. She much preferred the carefree and goofy dramatics to the humorless and fearful efforts when they’d first met. “Bumps and blunt force are nothing to me. I’m one hundred percent okay.”

Pidge surveyed the scene, eyes landing on Hunk. She pointed to him. “Hunk isn’t as immune as you are. What if a knife pops out of one of his fingers and stabs you?”

Lance raised a finger of his own, about to retort and win the argument. He wouldn’t. His Ability enabled him to recover supernaturally fast from a punch, but if anything remotely sharp stabbed him he’d be completely immobilized. Pidge felt his sorrow grow first, then watched his face fall as he couldn’t. “That...is a good point.” She felt a slight pang of her own guilt at ruining his good mood.

The only one really pleased with the situation was Hunk. “Oh well, look at that. I guess we’ll just have to find something else to do that doesn’t involve us flying down the stairs at breakneck speeds. Too bad.” He did not sound sorry at all. 

Arms crossed, Lance continued to pout. “Fine, it's your loss.” Pidge met his gaze, and his mood instantly improved, a wicked smile forming on his face. She frowned. What could he possibly be up to?

“Your turn, Pidge!” he said gleefully. 

“Wait, what?!” she yelped as he grabbed her arm and tugged her up the stairs, sled firm in his other arm. 

“You’re always looking for ways to figure out what your Ability is, right?” He turned and smiled at her. “Well, here’s another test!”

The smile made her mind freeze. It was beautiful. Not a smug smile, but a genuine and gentle smile. Just for her, as if she were the only person in the world. 

It was that same kindness that had pulled her into this vampire mess so completely in the first place. The same that made her want to trust him, even without any good reason to. The soft eyes made her heart feel like beating again. 

Midway up, Lance stopped. His eyes filled with horror and he stuttered, making a point to look away from her. “I - I didn’t mean to use the compulsion.” He laughed humorlessly. “That’s the second time within the hour. I’m sorry. You can go back down if you want.”

Pidge frowned. “Lance, you’re fine. I’m up here because I want to be. The idea may be kinda dumb, but I trust you. I already did with my life once,” she smiled, making sure it was a soft and caring one. “It's the kind of dumb my brother and I used to do all the time as kids anyway.”

His gaze locked to her’s once more. “...are you sure?” he asked sincerely.

“I’m sure,” she confirmed. “Let’s go for a ride so I have at least a funny story to tell Matt when he comes to visit.” She grinned. There was one more way she could prove they were in this together now. “Race you to the top?”

“No way, not with your - hey! That’s not a fair start!”

Pidge was already five steps ahead of him, a smug grin of her own firmly in place. “Hurry up! I don’t have all century!”

Even when Lance overtook her - it was a very, very long staircase, and curse her short legs - she didn’t mind one bit. Both were in hysterical giggles by the time they reached the top. Lance leaned over the top stair and Pidge took advantage to tackle him to the ground, her arms wrapped around his waist. 

“I win,” he finally managed after his laughing fit. “That was fun.”

“I’ll bet the ride down is even better. Hunk’s going to wonder if we stay up here too long.” She said it, but she didn’t take her head off of his chest. Here she could feel his emotions the strongest, at the moment nothing but love and affection. They could spend the rest of the day like this and she wouldn’t even care.

“Who’s he going to gossip to? Me? You? We’re the only ones here,” Lance teased. 

“My family eventually. Hopefully,” she added. “Their approval technically doesn’t matter since we’re permanently connected through the bond, but… it would still be nice.” Never seeing her family again was a nightmare she did not want to experience. To have her family hate her - that might be unbearable. 

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Lance promised solemnly. He took her hand gently. Pidge buried her face in his chest and squeezed his hand hard, knowing it wouldn’t faze him in the least.

“There’s just so much to explain,” Pidge vented. “I shouldn’t have gotten myself captured in the first place. I trusted you from almost nothing. We might be soulmates from a different reality? My family is really close, Lance. I know they’ll understand, but at the same time I’m terrified that they won’t. I’m a vampire. They’re vampire hunters,” she emphasized. 

A wave of sorrow hit her like a truck, and Pidge mentally kicked herself. She was worried about her family trusting her choice. Lance hadn’t seen his in nearly a century. His mother had died not knowing what had happened to him.

“Sorry, I don’t have it as bad as you. I shouldn’t complain.” She searched for his emotions. Sadness and heartache came through, but also empathy. 

“It doesn’t take away from what you’re feeling, Pidge. You should miss your family. I do every day and it never gets easier,” he said quietly. “I want to do everything I can to convince them you did the best thing you could have. You did it for them,” he finished with conviction, his eyes matching his steeled resolve.

Pidge smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Lance.”

He smiled back. “Anytime. I told you, it’s my job to make sure you transition. It’s kind of my fault after all,” he chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his head. 

“I’ve got my research and you two. I couldn’t be better,” she assured him. “So, how do you want to do this? Want me to take front? You’ve got more weight to steer.”

“You got it,” he agreed. They untangled themselves and set up accordingly on the sled. Pidge couldn’t help but continue to grin as she settled between his outstretched legs and leaned back into his chest. His emotions fluttered with joy, and hugged her tightly as an outward response. 

Pidge sighed in happiness. She could wait a little longer before telling Lance he was broadcasting his emotions louder than a foghorn. 

“Run number two,” Lance said professionally. He slid the sled a bit more forward, so they teetered on the edge of the first step. “Lancey Lance remains on board, with passenger Pidge as the variable.” He paused. “That’s right, right?”

“You’re learning something,” Pidge teased. 

“Excellent,” Lance grinned. “Ready - GO!” he pushed the sled forward and down they went. 

The first part of the flight was straight, and it allowed the two to gain momentum. The ride was bumpy, but it was so unusual and different and wacky Pidge didn’t mind at all. She found herself whooping and laughing right along with Lance. They’d gained enough speed by the spiraled middle portion that they only slowed a bit. Lance did an exceptional job piloting them through and avoided hitting the edges more often than not. The final third was once again a straight away and the two of them screamed all the way to the bottom, where Hunk calmly stepped out of their way, sending the two crashing into the front door. 

Pidge couldn’t stop laughing. 

“Aww man,” Lance finally said sitting up. “We should have timed both runs,” he finished, falling back down dramatically.

“I’m glad you two had fun. I’m sticking to the ground research from now on,” Hunk told them. 

Pidge picked herself up, still grinning. “You can help me build you a double, Hunk. There’s plenty of actual robot parts lying around in the basement. Those should be safe to send down the stairs with Lance.” 

“Oh, oh,” Hunk said excitedly. “I wouldn’t mind a robot twin. That’s totally on tomorrow’s list after lunch.”

Lance joined them near the stairs, sled in hand. “Make one of me too! This vampire is too good looking not to inspire a model.” 

A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts. Pidge’s smile turned to a frown, and she gulped. Was it time already to explain to her family what had happened here?

“Should I…?” Hunk asked. 

Lance nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. Time to meet the parents I guess.” He straightened up, aiming to look as presentable and confident as possible. 

Hunk opened the door, its age showing in the high pitched moan as the gap widened. Lance and Pidge both winced at the fading sunlight, twilight nearly upon the city. 

A man stepped into the the entryway. His posture perfect, hands tucked behind his back. None of his long white hair was out of place. He raised a single eyebrow as he regarded all of them. Pidge didn’t recognize him. She turned to Lance. He didn’t either.

Hunk stepped back to where his friends stood, mouth agape. “Can we help you, Mr…?”

“Lotor,” the man - no, vampire, said coolly. The surprise on his face at seeing them dwindled as he spoke, turning into suspicion. Pidge couldn’t tell if the fear she felt was her own or Lance’s, but Lotor must have noticed. His smirk swelled with self-confidence and he allowed them all to feel his deep well of power, a bold move by any standard and accentuated by his ease in the dwindling daylight. He was clearly the more powerful vampire, and already a conundrum. 

“The question is,” he continued, stepping forward, an unnatural gust of wind slamming the door shut behind him, “who are you three? And what are you doing in my mother’s lair?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me on [Tumblr](https://rueitae.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Any sequel would entail strictly Garrison Trio shenanigans. Pidge, Lance, and Hunk all immortal and living in a giant castle? Yeah, exactly.
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://rueitae.tumblr.com/)


End file.
